semester

1 of 2

noun

se·​mes·​ter sə-ˈme-stər 

1

: either of the two usually 18-week periods of instruction into which an academic year is often divided

2

: a period of six months

semestral

sə-ˈme-strəl 

adjective

or semestrial

sə-ˈme-strē-əl 

semestral

2 of 2

adjective

se·​mes·​tral -strəl 

variants or semestrial

-ˌtrēəl 

: occurring every six months or within a period of six months : of or relating to a six-month period

Examples of semester in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Your school's financial aid office can guide you through the process of securing additional funding during the semester. — Faith Wakefield, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026

The fall semester at California State University, Long Beach, has begun, but frustration is mounting as hundreds of students have yet to move into their dorm rooms this week. — Rina Nakano, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026

Among those aboard were 35 Syracuse University students returning home from a semester abroad. — James Cirrone, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026

There’s also the reality of add/drop and other university registration rules for enrolling in fall semester courses, as athletes need to remain full-time students in good standing. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 25 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

German, from Latin semestris half-yearly, from sex six + mensis month — more at six, moon

Adjective

Latin semestris half-yearly + English -al or -ial

First Known Use

Noun

1827, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing semester

• semester hour

Rhymes for semester

• ancestor
• arrester
• digester
• investor
• protester
• requester
• sequester
• silvester
• trimester
• ester
• esther
• fester

Kids Definition

semester

noun

se·​mes·​ter sə-ˈmes-tər 

: either of two terms of about 18 weeks each that make up a school year